Anyone else feeling a bit waterlogged out there? It is no surprise that rain totals (so far) this year are higher than average and with such heavy rain fall comes the increased risk of toppling trees.
If you've hiked to Quarry trial via the Nature Center trail head recently, you've likely seen the massive fallen White oak and Loblolly pine that were taken down after so much rain. Thanks to our Conservation Director, Jamie Nobles, for single-handedly clearing the trees that were obscuring the trail. Thank goodness he took that chainsaw handling course, yes?
Interesting tidbit from a recent article posted by ACES: "In extreme weather events, when the soil is completely saturated and the wind is blowing, the movement of the tree causes the wet soil to take on a gravy-like consistency. Once this begins to happen, the tree’s roots are no longer held by the soil, but are rather slipping and sliding through it. At this point, if the wind is strong enough, the whole tree might topple."
Next time you hike by this now stump, count the rings to see how old this white oak was before it toppled!